Overview

The Department of Psychology offers two undergraduate degrees. Students may elect a program leading to either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in experimental psychology.

Entrance Requirements

Lower Division. In order to be admitted into the Department of Psychology, freshmen and transfer students must meet all University and college admission requirements. Transfer students must meet all such requirements and have a GPA of 2.25 or better. Acceptance into the department with a lower-division classification does not guarantee progression into the upper-division psychology major.

Upper Division. Progression into the upper division is based on the successful completion of all lower-division criteria.

Progression Requirements

Lower Division. All students enter the lower division when the psychology major is declared.

Requirements

1. Complete PSYC 101 and 226 with a grade of C or better.

2. Attain a 2.25 cumulative GPA.

3. The preceding lower-division requirements must be met by the completion of the first 30 credit hours as a declared psychology major. If at that time the student has not met the requirements, the student must select another major.

Regulations

1. Ineligible to enroll in 500-level and higher courses.

2. May repeat psychology major courses only once to earn the required grade of C or better.

Upper Division. Students enter the upper division in one of two ways:

1. Successfully complete lower-division requirements within the first 30 credit hours as a declared psychology major.

2. May be placed in with a cumulative GPA of 2.25 or higher and have earned grades of C or better in both PSYC 101 and 226 or equivalents.

Regulations

1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or be subject to academic probation. If a 2.00 cumulative GPA has not been attained by the completion of the probationary term, the student must select another major.

2. May repeat psychology major courses only once to earn the required grade of C or better.3. Students may attempt PSYC 227 and 228 two times each. If after the second attempt a student has not earned a grade of C or higher, the student will be removed from the major.

4. May enroll in 500-level and higher courses if the prerequisites have been completed.

Degree Requirements

(120 hours)

1. General Education Requirements (53-65 hours)

Psychology 101 may fulfill some of the general education requirements or may serve as an elective, but it must be completed for a major in psychology. At least one of the laboratory science courses must be a course in general biology or one that studies the animal kingdom.

228 -- Laboratory in Psychology. (2) (Prereq: PSYC 226 and 227) Laboratory in psychology in which research methods and statistical methods are integrated. One lecture and one two-hour laboratory per week.

320 -- Psychology of Religion. {=RELG 361} (3) The development of the religious consciousness and its various expressions, the psychological dynamics of growth and conversion, response to crisis, and the relation of spiritual practice to health and wholeness.

330 -- Psychology and the African-American Experience. {=AFRO 330} (3) Psychological theory and research as it applies to African Americans. Explores Africentric and other perspectives and roles of culture, racism, and historical phenomena.

370 -- Psychology of Consciousness. (3) Theories, controversies, and research findings on the nature of various states of consciousness; topics such as sleep/dreams, hypnosis, drug-induced states, and psychic phenomena.

380 -- Sport Psychology. (3) The role of sports in socialization, personality development and competence, including: spectator-performer interactions, motivation, competition effects; and the application of psychological techniques to performance enhancement.

399 -- Independent Study. (1-6) (Prereq: PSYC 101 and consent of instructor) Closely supervised project or research experience in psychology. Approved contract required. May be repeated for up to six credits. Not for psychology major credit.

400 -- Survey of Learning and Memory. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130) Research and applications concerning the acquisition of new behavior and knowledge, including accounts based on classical and instrumental conditioning and on information-processing models.

420 -- Survey of Developmental Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or EDPY 335 or SCCC 130) Psychological development from conception to late adulthood. Topics include physical, cognitive, and social processes associated with development at each stage of the life cycle.

430 -- Survey of Social Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130) Introduction to theory and research in social psychology from a psychological viewpoint. Topics include social perception, social cognition, attitudes, interpersonal relationships, aggression, prosocial behavior, and group processes.

440 -- Survey of Personality. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130) Covers the major theories and research on personality and the dynamics of human motivation.

487 -- Community Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 or SCCC 130 and at least 3 hours in psychology at 400 level or above) Application of knowledge from other areas of psychology to the study of the role of the individual in the community.

489 -- Community Psychology Practicum. (1-6) (Prereq: 15 hours in psychology and consent of instructor) Supervised, structured field experience in a community agency, applying psychological principles, theory, and research. May be repeated once for credit.

498 -- Advanced Independent Study. (1-6) (Prereq: 9 hours of psychology and consent of instructor) Closely supervised project or research experience in psychology. Approved contract required. May be repeated for up to six credits.

501 -- Human Factors Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 101 and 9 hours of upper-level courses all in psychology, business, engineering, or nursing) Application of research in experimental psychology to ergonomics, the design of human-environment systems, with emphasis on work settings.

503 -- Psychology of Drug Use and Effects. {=PHRM 513} (3) (Prereq: consent of instructor) Research and theoretical considerations of substance abuse. Pharmacological, sociological, psychological, medical, economic, forensic, and other relevant research and treatment disciplines.

506 -- Psychology of Language. {=LING 567} (3) (Prereq: consent of instructor) Theories of speech perception, linguistic theories of syntax and semantics, the brain mechanisms underlying language, the development of language in children, and the role of language in thought.

507 -- Cognitive Neuroscience. (3) (Prereq: one course from PSYC 400, 405, 450, or 460) Research and theories on the role of the brain in facets of cognitive behavior, including attention, short-term and working memory, perception, language, executive function, thinking, and problem solving.

520 -- Psychology of Child Development. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 420 or consent of instructor) Examination of development from conception through older childhood. Specific cognitive and social processes will be given in-depth study.

521 -- Psychology of Adolescence. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 420 or consent of instructor) Theories and research examining social, emotional, and intellectual development in adolescence. Explores influence of family, peer, school, and cultural contexts.

522 -- Psychology of Early and Middle Adulthood. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 420 or consent of instructor) Developmental changes in abilities, personality, and behavior which occur between adolescence and old age.

524 -- Psychology of Mental Retardation. {=EDEX 619} (3) (Prereq: a course in the areas of child psychology-child development) Nature and causes of mental retardation; behavior and potentialities of persons with mental retardation.

525 -- The Psychology of the Midlife Woman. {=WOST 525} (3) Biological, social, and psychological aspects of the midlife woman.

526 -- Prevention of Psychological Problems in Children and Youth at Risk. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 410 or 420 or equivalent) Etiology, prevention of, and intervention in behavioral, social, emotional, educational, and psychological problems in children and youth at risk,

528 -- Psychology of Children with Exceptionalities. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 420 or 520 or consent of instructor) Characteristics, causes, needs, and intervention strategies for children with a broad range of exceptionalities including mental, physical, social/emotional difficulties and atypical gifts and talents.

529 -- Specific Learning Disabilities of School Children. {=EDEX 531} (3) (Prereq: PSYC 528 or EDEX 523 or consent of instructor) Children with average or above average intelligence and specific learning impairments; diagnostic and remedial techniques. (Given jointly by the College of Education and the Department of Psychology.)

530 -- Advanced Social Psychology. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 430) Intensive study of topics selected from the field of social psychology.

550 -- Advanced Sensation and Perception. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 450) Intensive study of topics selected from the field of sensation and perception.

571 -- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 226 and 227; prereq or coreq: one course from PSYC 400, 405, 450, or 460) Methods of observation and experimentation in cognitive neuroscience. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week.

572 -- Cognitive Psychology Laboratory. (3) (Prereq or coreq: PSYC 405) Practice in the experimental techniques used in the study of cognitive psychology. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week.

574 -- Sensation and Perception Laboratory. (3) (Prereq or coreq: PSYC 450 or consent of instructor) Concepts and principles in the study of sensation and perception in the laboratory. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week.

575 -- Developmental Psychology Laboratory. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 226 and 227; prereq or coreq: PSYC 420 or 520 or consent of instructor) Methods of observation and experimentation on human psychological development. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week.

580 -- Intermediate Statistics for Psychologists. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 226 and 227; undergraduate enrollment limited to psychology majors) Advanced analysis of the uses and applications of statistics to research in psychology, and interpretation of statistics in the psychological literature.

583 -- Psychological Tests and Measurement. (3) (Prereq: PSYC 227 or consent of instructor) Overview of the nature, design, and application of psychological tests. Emphasis on test construction, the psychometric properties of psychological tests, intelligence and aptitude testing, objective and projective tests of personality, and general issues in the application of tests.

584 -- History and Systems of Psychology. (3) (Prereq: 9 hours in psychology at 400 level or above) Systematic approaches to psychology.